Solid fuel distilling apparatus



L. CHAVANNE 1,924,980

SOLID FUEL DISTILLING APPARATUS Aug. 29, 1933.

Original Filed Jan. 30, 1926 Bnventor Can/nm,

Patented Aug. 29, 1933 f UNITED STATES soLID FUEL nrsrrLLiNG ArrAaA'rUs Louis Chayanne, Paris, France Original application `lanuary 30, 1926, Serial No.

85,050, and

in France February 11, 1925.

Divided and this application May 1, 1929.

Serial No. 359,691

6 Claims.

This application is a division of my prior application Serial No. 85,050, filed January 30,1926, Patent No. 1,818,533 and relates to apparatus for the gasification of solid fuels, and the invention may be employed in combination or otherwise with all and any details of the inventions embodied in my co-pending applications Serial No. 8,810, Patent No. 1,799,885 led February 12, 1925, and Serial No. 32,790, filed May 25, 1925, Patent No. 1,799,886.

In the aforesaid application Serial No. 85,050 it has been explained that the fuel is subjected to low-temperature distillation, during which the evolved lay-products are collected by suitable means based upon the fractional withdrawing of distillation vapors and gases.

The object of the present invention is the provision of novel means constituting the wall or shaft of the distillation zone of the fuel column of solid fueidistilling apparatus, and comprises a series of adjacent collecting chambers or boxes of any suitable shape connected to condensers (not shown). The wall includes several adjacent and distinct rows of chambers, each row being arranged preferably in a horizontal plane and being of any suitable form such as circular or multilateral.

The chambers of each row, although having adjacent walls, can be made of units or elements distinct one from the other and with or without communication between them, such units or elements forming together to comprise a unitary row and being made of any suitable material,

For collecting separately each grade of hydrocarbon vapors evolved at each corresponding horizontal level of the fuel column, it is obvious that there may be any suitable number of rows of chambers and that no communication should exist between chambers situated in different horizontal rows.

These chambers have at least one side provided with openings toward the fuel, or two normally intersecting sides of each chamber, either parallel or forming an angle, may leave a corner open to the surface of the fuel, or both means may be provided, for the discharge of the gases and vapors. Further, the walls in contact with the fuel are arranged in any form which will not oppose the free descent of coal therealong, their lower edges ending on a profile line showing preferably no constriction.

These openings in the form of flues or otherwise are sufficient in numbers and position, and are also given suitable shape, dimensions and arrangement to regulate the flow` of gases at each level where they are evolved in order to prevent condensation of the hydrocarbon vapors taking place in the mass of fuel, and also to avoid introducing into the chambers the downcoming fuel. Thus vapors carried away by gaseous lflow may be collected in primary form and separately from each fuel level, and thence are led to condensers of a suitable type, each condenser being connected by its own external pipes, provided with means of control, to a row of chambers, orto a separate group of intercommunicating chambers of the same row.

From the above it appears that owing vto the widely extended openings, the evacuation of gases 70. and vapors is ensured at a relatively slow speed, so thatthe carrying away of dust is minimized.

For the above purposes, the device illustrated in the drawing (which shows a sectional eleva- 75, tion of one embodiment of my invention) may be employed the shape and details of which may vary Within wide limits; this device comprises rings as shown A, A1, A2, and the like mounted upon circular members M, said rings being pref- 8 erably conical and forming with such members a series of collecting annular boxes C, C1, 32,k and the like, closed at their upper part, each one being independent of the others and being connected with a by-product condensing plant (not shown) through separate pipes T, T1, T2, and the like, provided with valves V, V1, V2, vand the like. It will be seen that each of the rings A, A1, A2 and the like constitutes the inner wall of one of the collecting boxes or chambersy and togather said rings constitute a wall surrounding the fuel column. The bottom wall or flooras well as the top wall of each chamberV is constituted by a portion m of one of the circular members M, each of said portions m constituting a common intermediate wall for two adjacent chambers. The bottom floor of each box is given a certain slope for preventing condensed hydrocarbons running towards the mass of fuel. Further, the lower edge of each ring in contact .100 with the fuel is positioned to prevent the charge from penetrating into the boxes.

1f a conical shape is given to each successive ring of enlarged size, it allows the progressively retarded free descent of the fuel layers and takes .105 care of the variable expansion or swelling peculiar to certain kinds of bituminous fuels; if apertures are provided in the rings, then the edges thereof may rest also or not upon members M, so that gas and products are diverted in H0 each chamber through the open side of it or/ and through the apertures.

It is obvious that boxes C, C1, C2, C3, and C4, arranged at proper levels may be of diierent sizes and numbers and also can be insulated or not.

As will be seen from the arrows the gases carrying with them the condensible by-products of distillation pass separately through the wide annular openings in the form of flues into the boxes C, C1, C2, C3, and the like, and from there to the condensing plant .(not shown) through the separate pipes T, T1, T2, T3, and the like, where the various grades of by-products so separated are then recovered. These gases and the byproducts carried thereby are led by any suitable means of control, including pressure, to the condensing plant.

The valves V, Vi, V2 and the like, are regulated to allow the passage in the adjoining chambers equipped therewith, of the amount of gases necessary for carrying off the condensible hydrocarbons evolved in the corresponding zone of fuel. It is obvious that for collecting separately each grade of the series of the condensible hydrocarbons contained in the fuel submitted to distillation, according to their specific gravity and boiling points, the wall of the distillation zone should be provided with a suitable number o1' rows of chambers correctly distributed along the column of downcoming fuel and tted with regulating valves for the above explained purpose. The chambers C, C1, C2, and the like, adjoining or not, may also be protruding inside the shell of the distillation zone and connected by groups or individually to a condensing plant.

The large exits provided for the currents of gases laden with by-products and the oitakes provided with suitable control means allow the perfect maintenance of a gradient of temperature within the whole distillation zone as well as the maintenance of balanced temperature and pressure at each level of the distillation zone, the even flow of gases and their quick exhaust Without alteration of the primary grades of con-- densible hydrocarbons whenever formed.

At the top of the fuel column a pipe or pipes B provided with a valve or valves B1 serve as a means for controlling the pressure in the fuel column.

While only one embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the invention is capable of a wide variety of mechanical expressions without departing from its spirit, and reference is therefore to be had to the appended claims for a dennition of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A wall for a solid fuel distilling apparatus comprising a series of superposed rings of adjacent collecting chambers with inner Walls slightly inclined down and inwardly, external outlet piping for each ring, and bottom walls for said chambers sloping down and outwardly towards the junction of said external piping equipment.

2. In apparatus for distilling solid fuel, the combination of a plurality of superposed hollow rings forming a shaft for the fuel column, the inner wall of each ring having an inverted conical shape and the lower edge of each inner wall overlapping and of less diameter than the upper edge of the next lower inner wall, the space between said overlapping edges forming an annular passage extending from the fuel column into the hollow ring immediately above, and outlet pipes for said rings.

3. In a solid fuel distilling apparatus, means forming a plurality of separate superposed collecting chambers having independent outlet pipes and including a plurality of spaced generally vertical wall elements, the neighboring edges of each two successive elements lying in substantially the same horizontal plane and being spaced apart in a horizontal direction to provide a passage from the fuel column into each chamber.

4. In a solid fuel distilling apparatus, means forming a plurality of separate superposed collecting chambers having independent outlet pipes and including a plurality of spaced generally vertical wall elements, the neighboring edges of each two successive elements lying in substantially the samel horizontal plane and being spaced apart in a horizontal direction to provide a passage from the fuel column into each chamber, each successively lower wall element being displaced outwardly with respect to the element immediately above so that the fuel column increases in diameter toward its bottom.

5. In a solid fuel distilling apparatus, means forming a plurality of separate superposed collecting chambers having independent outlet pipes and including a plurality of spaced generally Vertical wall elements, the neighboring edges of each two successive elements lying in substantially the same horizontal plane and being spaced apart in a horizontal direction to provide a passage from the fuel column into each chamber, said elements each being inclined to the vertical at a relatively small angle.

6. In a solid fuel distilling apparatus, means forming a plurality of separate superposed collecting chambers having independent outlet pipes and including a plurality of spaced generally vertical wall elements, the neighboring edges of each two successive elements lying in substantially the same horizontal plane and being spaced apart in a horizontal direction` to provide a passage from the fuel column into each chamber, each of said elements being inclined to the vertical, and said neighboring edges overlapping.

LOUIS CHAVANN E. 

